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Saturday, 19 May 2012

Stairs are a fundamental and universal feature of buildings. The late Alan Blanc had a lifetime's obsession with stairs and steps and provided a definitive reference source that bridges the aesthetic and practical aspects of staircase design. His wife Sylvia, who worked with him on the first edition, presents this updated, abridged version alongside a complimentary web site where the historical elements of the subjects are described and discussed in pictures and diagrams.

The book is a practical guide to designing circulation spaces. It is extensively detailed with working drawings and photographs. Construction methods using a variety of materials are discussed as well as the influence of new technology on vertical circulation. The guidance on codes and regulations covers the UK and US. The latest high profile international case studies inspire and inform the reader.

Friday, 18 May 2012

new york-based REX architecture has developed 'project R6' an urban boutique residence for short-term business people, young urban professionals and foreign tenants located in the dream hub yongsan international business district (YIBD), seoul, korea. due to the transience of its target users and the brief duration for which they are home, the unit sizes are small, measuring 40 m2, 50 m2, and 60 m2.

the tower is situated in a narrow parcel bounded by the mountain park which includes a children’s interactive spray park, rail road museum, outdoor amphitheater, yongsan station esplanade and the central park which is adjacent to hangang-ro area. by placing the building to the south of this block, all units command great views and the structural forms a gateway to the YIBD.

by pulling layers of the typical housing tower in opposing directions, the small units maintain their size, but are stretched into favorable proportions that provide views and daylight from both sides, cross-ventilation, and creates a sense of community through the development of a central courtyard, roof terraces andconversation/reading/play pods.

the stretched layers are strategically positioned to develop adequate continuity of the building’s primary structure: a concrete-encased steel mega-brace that encircles the courtyard. the support reinforces a shelf-like matrix of walls and floor slabs that define each dwelling. each ledge is inserted a wooden shell containing a bathroom on one side and a kitchen on the other.

a movable wall, using standard compact shelving technology, shifts within the unit to define a bedroom which is adjacent to the bathroom or a living room which adjoins the kitchen. the partition includes a bed, nightstands, a couch, a television mount, task lighting and storage.

'bicycle club' is a pavilion dedicated to bicycling in hainan, china designed by amsterdam-based NL architects.a rooftop cycling arena is supported by a glass-enclosed cafe at ground level. the oval-footprint structure's protruding canopy is essential due to the tropical climate, shading the perimeter seating. the elegant upward curvature of the eaves evokes the form of the traditional and functional pagoda.

visitors set their bicycles within a recessed trough and easily walk up two staircases to the open-air velodrome. the area beneath by the stairs contains and conceals public restrooms. part of a resort club, guests may rent from the facility incorporated into the entry.rooftop bicycle track appears to float above a glass-enclosed cafe at ground levelpavilion within contextapproach to the pavilionside viewaerial viewaerial view of rooftop bicycle trackfloor plan / level 0roof plansection

'arnhem central station - platform roofs' by UNstudiophotos by Ronald Tillemanarnhem central in the netherlands is a hub for several regional routes and high speed trains which run between the neighbouring country of germany. as passenger numbers continue to grow, the railway station's infrastructure is being substantially revitalized. most recently, a fourth platform has been added, and all of the roofs have been replaced with a new design developed by dutch architecture practice UNstudio.the overall concept of the transportation hub is composed of structural spans embedded with large roof lights, which add a sense of brightness and space to the environment, offering an overall positive experience to the transfer platforms and their surroundings. an elevated footbridge connects the passenger waiting areas with each other and the north entrance to the train station. an electrified system has also been incorporated into the roof structure, providing a uniform appearance across the entire terminal. last july, the platform tunnel opened to the public, while construction of the transfer terminal will happen in two phases, and is set to open for service in 2014.